DURHAM – With practice beginning for another season of Duke football, there’s supposed to be a change in the aura around the Blue Devils.

After all, they’re coming off their first bowl appearance in nearly two decades and they’re confident that the foundation is stronger than ever.

But when Atlantic Coast Conference preseason media polls came out last month, Duke was listed at the bottom – even deeper in the standings this time because of conference expansion.

So instead of a customary sixth-place spot in the Coastal Division’s listing, the Blue Devils are seventh this time around.

“It gives us a great motivation to be better than we were last year,” running back Jela Duncan said.

The Blue Devils went through their first workout Monday night, several days after others in the Triangle conducted their initial 2013 summer practices.

“I feel like we’re late getting started,” coach David Cutcliffe said, acknowledging that he has been an interested consumer of noticing what has been happening with other teams.

The Blue Devils open the season Aug. 31 against in-city opponent North Carolina Central.

Cutcliffe said picking Duke at the bottom of the standings is like a fallback vote because the Blue Devils have finished there so often.

Despite that spot in the projected pecking order, he said there are countless signs of upgrades for the Blue Devils and that he expects an upward trajectory to continue.

As always, it often comes back to building depth for Duke.

“You’re really only as good as your (second-stringers),” Cutcliffe said. “We have numerous places where our (second-stringers) are competing to become (first-stringers).”

One spot that seems secure is at quarterback, where Anthony Boone will be the in the first-team role with the departure of Sean Renfree (who’s in the Atlanta Falcons camp). Boone has had considerable playing time, but this marks the first time he’s the clear-cut player at the position.

Quarterback Thomas Sirk, who might have pushed for a starting role, isn’t practicing with the team yet as he continues to recover from April’s ruptured right Achilles tendon. The redshirt freshman, who underwent surgery less than four months ago, won’t be available for the opener, but his return for later in the season hasn’t been ruled out, Cutcliffe said.